


Bedside Manner

by Activeimagination



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-11-30 20:07:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11470746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Activeimagination/pseuds/Activeimagination
Summary: My take on the aftermath of Robert's fall.





	Bedside Manner

Bedside Manner 

 

Running along a beach was different than a road or country lane. Each time his leg came out of the sand there was an extra strain, a sinew that had to push itself that little bit more. The sea air was fresh and it felt like he could feel it reaching each part of his body. The alarm on his watch beeped, it was time to cool down and by the time he reached the car park his heart rate was returning to normal. The break away was helping, weather had been nice and just simply chilling was helping. The break from his husband was perhaps less helpful but he had seen no other option. He had reached a nadir, contemplated drugs and had endured the second most horrific monster he had ever encountered in his home. In a thought process that was epic in its convoluted nature he had decided that harming himself was the best thing to do. Robert had found out and there had been a row. Well, row was a mild term. He got it all out there, how hurt he was, how disgusted he was, how it was Robert’s fault that he was in this state. How it was so awfully wrong to be in a position that he had to choose between a child not having a father and him having a husband, that he, Aaron Dingle, was simply not able to handle that and the only option was a split. The look of sheer despair on Robert’s face would never leave him. Aaron had left for the south coast that evening and had booked the Air B and B cottage at a rest stop. 

A pattern had emerged where he ran each evening and slept until about ten each morning. A shower and gentle stroll to the café had breakfast sorted and then he would look at the map and decide where to head to. Somewhere in his mind he knew he had to make his way North eventually but had decided he might stop in Bristol and Bath but that was a while away yet. Adam was getting narky about running the business but Cain had intervened in his own inimitable way and the Barton lad had decided he valued his own legs more than having to work a little harder. 

There had been a few texts from Robert. The first had informed him that he had moved back into the Mill, was going nowhere and that they needed to talk and sort things out. The second had asked where he was. Aaron had replied to that saying he was away for a while and that when he got back they might talk. Robert had replied saying that was fine, he hoped he would enjoy the break, to be careful, to ring him or someone if he was feeling stressed and that he would help Adam with the business, it had ended with the simple phrase ‘I love you Mr Sugden’. There had been no further text from him and Aaron knew this was Robert letting him deal with stuff. 

Wednesday morning was bright and the shower awakened his senses. He was feeling less anxious and was looking forward to the planned day in St Ives. He wrapped the towel around him and walked from the bathroom to the bedroom and checked his phone. Four missed calls, Dianne, Vic, Cain and Adam. This all in the space of fifteen minutes. He knew something was wrong, very wrong.   
‘Aaron, mate. You need to get back, it’s Robert…he’s had an accident, look give me a call as soon as.’   
Adam sounded panicked on the voicemail. He didn’t bother listening to the rest knowing what they would be about. Later he would remark to his counsellor how everything went into auto. He contacted the owner of the cottage to say he was leaving and organised the payment. He packed quickly and had a full breakfast eaten quickly in the café. He stopped at the filling station for a fill. Before leaving he rang Adam.   
‘Mate, am I glad it’s you?’  
‘What the hell happened?’  
‘It’s Robert..’  
‘I know that, look what happened him?’  
‘He’s been in a bad way, drinking’  
Christ, Aaron thought to himself. When would Robert learn that drinking and being down do not go well together.  
‘He fell down the stairs at yours, Dianne found him unconscious at the bottom of the stairs mate’  
Aaron’s heart rate began to quicken as if he was mid way through one of his runs.  
‘How is he, where is he?’ he made no effort to disguise the panic.  
‘Not good, she found him about eight and he’s in the hospital now. I was talking to Vic, she said that there’s talk of internal bleeding and that he is in surgery, the shooting isn’t helping either’  
‘Shooting! Christ when was he shot?’  
‘Ah nearly two years ago’  
‘Plonker… I thought it was now the way you said it. Right well I’m on my way, tell Vic and Dianne, I’ll go straight to the hospital but it will be hours, phone will be on hands free, ring if you hear anything.’

Before he had a chance to turn the key in the ignition his phone rang again, it was Cain.  
‘I’ve heard about Robert, I’m on my way back’  
‘Good, because I think you were a little hasty’  
‘Really, thanks for that’  
‘Look the lad and I have had our run ins but a blind man can see he loves you, I just think one massive cock up shouldn’t destroy everything.’  
‘Thanks for the advice agony uncle, here maybe your new bird could put in a word with her boss man for him eh?’  
‘Oi, if you were here, look just drive carefully’. 

oOo

Evening had arrived when Aaron approached the nurse’s station on the surgical ward. Adam had rang earlier to say he had made it out of surgery and that the doctors were satisfied with how it went.  
‘Hi, I’d like to know where Robert Sugden is please?’  
‘Good evening, well he is recovering from surgery so it is only close family’  
‘I’m…I’m his husband’  
‘Aaron, pet’, the voice came from behind, ‘you came’.  
‘Dianne, of course I did, how is he?’  
They walked down the corridor.  
‘Not bad considering, he is sleeping now.’  
‘Oh, ok’, he was unsure. Was it his place to be here now? He knew the answer. ‘I’ll just sit by him so’.  
Dianne nodded and squeezed his arm. 

oOo

The sun was peeping through hospital blinds when Aaron stirred awake. His neck was sore. He looked over and Robert was still asleep. That same gentle face he had seen on so many mornings, the face he knew he wanted to protect. He got up and crept to the door and from there to the coffee machine. He was soon back and slurping at a plastic cup. He heard a rustling of sheets.

‘Morning Rob, you back in the land of the living?’  
‘Aaron’, he smiled ‘you’re here, who told you?’  
‘Adam rang, well they all did even our Cain’  
‘I see, and how are you?’  
‘How are you more like?’  
‘I’m fine, I think’  
‘Really?’, Aaron pulled his chair close to the bed.  
‘No, I’m sore all over and I have a real headache. But the thing is Aaron, I’m in pieces. I’m broken and it is all my fault.’  
‘Sh, you are upsetting yourself’  
‘Of course I am. You were gone, don’t blame you. I drank and drank. I fell down the stairs, could have bloody killed myself’  
‘Nearly as bad as hanging from a tree, one of the last times I was away’  
‘You came back though’  
‘Of course I did you idiot. Adam rang and told me, that was it. Look Robert, I’m still angry, still all over the place but that call made one thing very clear I love you. I’m in love with you. That is not a bad place to start trying to sort things out, it is not going to be easy but once again we have managed to show that we are nothing but liabilities apart.’  
‘I’m not good for you though. Anything or anyone that makes you think of self harming can not be good for you’  
‘I didn’t do it since then’  
‘Exactly when toy weren’t around me’  
‘Did you stop thinking of me just because I wasn’t here’  
‘No’  
‘Exactly and neither did I but I didn’t harm myself. Look there are other ways, I’m figuring them out.’  
‘I’m glad, maybe though we need a break’  
‘We do’  
Robert nodded sadly, he had hoped for a different answer but knew this was perhaps the truth.  
‘We need a break together, I know this superb cottage about eight hours away’  
Robert laughed.  
‘I really want to try Aaron, try for us. I know we can do this, together.  
Aaron clasped his hand.  
‘You still have it on’  
Aaron fiddled with his ring.  
‘I never took it off. Robert, I want to try as well, I have to try to deal with being tied to Rebecca for life’  
‘We won’t be’  
‘We will, there is a baby, it is yours. You are going to have a son. Honestly I don’t know how we deal with this but I do know that dealing with it alone leads to, well leads to this kind of thing’  
‘So’  
‘So I guess it’s back to messed up, together’   
‘I’d give my right arm for that, you know’  
‘I know’

Vic came to the door but halted. Her brother and his husband were kissing. She looked at them, knowing there would be twists and turns but feeling they were truly end game. 

Inside the two men came out of the kiss. Rob lay back and began to doze off. Aaron held his hand for a few moments before gently sitting back in his chair. He would be there when Robert woke in a few hours.


End file.
